Some articles formed from ceramics or ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are more easily formed out of multiple parts. For example the geometry of the article may be complex and may be difficult to form in a single piece. However, joining multiple parts formed of a ceramic or a CMC may be difficult, as the melting point of the ceramic or CMC may be very high, the ceramic or CMC may decompose before melting, and some ceramics or CMCs are susceptible to thermal shock due to their inherent brittleness.
Some ceramics or CMCs have been joined using a cement. However, cements may be prone to brittle fracture under tension or flexure, and may not be suitable for joining a ceramic or CMC to another material that has a substantially different coefficient of thermal expansion.
Other fasteners, such as screws or bolts, may be used to join ceramics or CMCs, but forming holes in ceramics or CMCs may introduce cracks in the ceramic or CMC, and the cracks may act as stress concentrators.